Junichi Nakajima
Commendation
Research on the seismological structure of subduction zones and the origin of seismic and volcanic phenomena
A list of five major papers
- J. Nakajima, T. Matsuzawa, A. Hasegawa and D. Zhao, Three-dimensional structure of Vp, Vs, and Vp/Vs beneath northeastern Japan: Implications for arc magmatism and fluids, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 21843-21857, 2001.
- J. Nakajima, Y. Takei, A. Hasega wa, Quantitative analysis of t he inclined low-velocity zone in t he mantle wedge of northeastern Japan: A systematic change of melt-filled pore shapes with depth and its implications for mel t migration, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 234, 59-70, 2005.
- J. Nakajima, Y. Tsuji, and A. Hasega wa, Sei smic evidenc e for t hermal ly-controlled dehydration in subducting oceanic crust, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L03303, doi:10.1029/2008GL036865, 2009.
- J. Nakaj ima, F. Hirose, and A. Hasegawa, Seismotectonics beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area, Japan: Effect of slab-slab contact and overlap on seismicity, J. Geophys. Res., 114, B08309, doi:10.1029/2008JB00610, 2009.
- J. Nakajima, and A. Hasega wa, Tremor acti vity inhibited by well-drained conditions above a megathrust, Nature Communicat ions, 7, 13863, doi:10.1038/ncomms13863, 2016.
Major achievements
Junichi Nakajima analyzed data obtained from a dense seismographic network of the Japanese islands with various seismological techniques, including seismic tomography, to create seismological structures beneath Japan with unprecedented precision. In addition, through the development and improvement of analytical methods, seismological imaging has been greatly enhanced, and by incorporating the knowledge of material science and petrology, he has provided a clear interpretation of various processes associated with plate subduction, such as the generation and rise of magma in mantle wedges under an island arc, dehydration from a subducted oceanic plate and the occurrence of intraslab earthquakes, the contribution of fluid in the deformation of the island arc crust, and the relationship between water movement at the plate boundary and deep low-frequency tremor. Thus, he has played a central role in establishing a view of the subducting plate, mantle wedge, and inland crust as a series of processes. Dr. Nakajima leads the world in cross-disciplinary research based on seismology and transcends traditional academic frameworks, and is highly appreciated internationally.
Nominator
Akira Hasegawa